The store manager, who Behnen knows, yelled to him that the man running away had just tried to kidnap a child.

Behnen pulled his patrol car in front of the suspect’s vehicle as he tried to leave the parking lot. He ordered the man out of the car with his weapon in hand.

After initially not complying, the man was taken into custody.

“In my 10 years on the road I have never seen anything like this,” Citrus County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Craig Callahan said from the scene. “He truly intended to abduct this child right in front of everyone in the store.”

“It actually was violent enough to tear the girl’s shirt up pretty badly that she was wearing,” Sgt. Callahan added. “We’re very fortunate that the mother had the motherly instinct and did what she did. She may have saved her daughter’s life.”

The mother and her daughter, although both very rattled, are uninjured.

Courtesy: Citrus County Sheriff’s Office

“Behnen is a bona fide hero today,” said Citrus County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Ricky Grant, who was also on scene. “If it weren’t for him, this guy would have gotten away.”

“This was a chaotic scene with a lot at stake,” said Commander Buddy Grant.

“Thank goodness the girl’s mother jumped into action to prevent this man from kidnapping her daughter. And, thank goodness Dep. Behnen used his training and experience to stop this man from escaping,” said Grant.

Because charges are forthcoming for the suspect, the sheriff’s office said it is not releasing the names of those involved at this time.

The intentions of Bonello as of yet are not known. Detectives will be investigating the incident thoroughly and will be charging Bonello in the near future. Bonello is not listed as a sexual offender or predator. He lives in Inverness, Florida.